A new normal
I mentioned in the last post that I am experiencing a 'new normal', and I find it quite interesting that in some discussion with pastor, that he passed on a podcast that I so needed to hear. I have been wrestling with some issues at work. Some painful. Some questions that I can't answer. Some issues that are complex and conflicting that don't make a lot of sense to me. I am fully aware that 'I do not work for men, but for God.' This phrase from the bible has been so helpful to me as this year continues to unfold. As I traveled to Michigan to be with my dad, more issues with work unfolded. And I was livid. Felt attacked. Did not feel as if though I was being heard. And I wanted to strike back as I felt my character, commitment, and work ethic were all being put into question. Hurts donut.
Onto the podcast - if you don't know who Greg Boyd is, you need to start listening, reading, something with his words and insight into our Creator. He continues to challenge me every time I push into his work. He pointed out that we go to God and ask Him to comfort us when we are afflicted. So true. But further, he challenges us to ask Him to afflict us when we are comfortable. This is a 'new normal' that is counterintuitive to this world. And that is what it must be like if we are to follow Jesus. This new normal confronts the normal of our world. It points out the ugliness in our lives. It pushes us to ask Jesus to never let us get too comfortable, to always stir us up, to turn us upside down, to question our own normal in His love. 1 Peter 2 talks about the 'unjust suffering' that Jesus experienced, and Romans 12 turns normal upside down by telling us to not be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good. (I am not insinuating that my work or workplace is evil, so chill out.) But when we feel this attack, Boyd says we put our PR department to work - we try to defend our character, we fight back 'oh yeah, well look at this, you blank, he did this, etc.' What we need to do (thanks Greg Boyd) is fire our PR department and trust God. Ask ourselves this question: "What is the LOVING thing to do?" If we claim to be following Jesus, that is how we should react. Look at how Jesus reacted when he was brought before Pilate. He said nothing. He could have made some unbelieveable, incredible arguments to fight the charges brought against him. But he sat silent. He didn't argue about the pettiness of the charges in this world, and neither should we.
So I am going to trust God, and remain silent. I am going to get my worth from Him who created me and gives me all of my worth. My worth doesn't come from accusations in my work, but from my Lord and God and Savior. All of my life, my worth, and my significance comes from Him, He defines me. I ask that God frees me from my own PR department, and guides me in firing the whole department, and being obedient.
Onto the podcast - if you don't know who Greg Boyd is, you need to start listening, reading, something with his words and insight into our Creator. He continues to challenge me every time I push into his work. He pointed out that we go to God and ask Him to comfort us when we are afflicted. So true. But further, he challenges us to ask Him to afflict us when we are comfortable. This is a 'new normal' that is counterintuitive to this world. And that is what it must be like if we are to follow Jesus. This new normal confronts the normal of our world. It points out the ugliness in our lives. It pushes us to ask Jesus to never let us get too comfortable, to always stir us up, to turn us upside down, to question our own normal in His love. 1 Peter 2 talks about the 'unjust suffering' that Jesus experienced, and Romans 12 turns normal upside down by telling us to not be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good. (I am not insinuating that my work or workplace is evil, so chill out.) But when we feel this attack, Boyd says we put our PR department to work - we try to defend our character, we fight back 'oh yeah, well look at this, you blank, he did this, etc.' What we need to do (thanks Greg Boyd) is fire our PR department and trust God. Ask ourselves this question: "What is the LOVING thing to do?" If we claim to be following Jesus, that is how we should react. Look at how Jesus reacted when he was brought before Pilate. He said nothing. He could have made some unbelieveable, incredible arguments to fight the charges brought against him. But he sat silent. He didn't argue about the pettiness of the charges in this world, and neither should we.
So I am going to trust God, and remain silent. I am going to get my worth from Him who created me and gives me all of my worth. My worth doesn't come from accusations in my work, but from my Lord and God and Savior. All of my life, my worth, and my significance comes from Him, He defines me. I ask that God frees me from my own PR department, and guides me in firing the whole department, and being obedient.
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